Railroad-rail.



38, through which the bolt may pass, is inserted between the vertical arms oi the U shaped rib ol the splice bar.

The operation is as follows: The chair members are spiked or attached in any desired manner to the ties and their abutting ends are connected by the splicing structure just described. The trend members 10 are then laid in the chair members, the joints between said tread members lying between the joints in the chair members. Fastening members 20 are then inserted in the lollowing manner; The extension 23 is passed into notch 18 and groove 13 and then slid longitudinally oi the rail so that it will pass behind the flange 15 until extension 22 can be also swung through notch 18 into groove 13. The lower end of the lastening member is then swung downward until boss 2-1 enters opening 19 and linger 25 passes behind the plane of the inner lace oi flange 16. Thereupon the iastening member is driven to the lelt (in Fig. 5), the engagement oi boss 24 with the inclined wall 19 of opening 19 serving to place the fastening member 20 under tension and draw the tread member [irmly into the chair memberv When the fastening member reaches the position shown in Fig. 5, linger 26 is struck and bent to the position shown in full lines in Fig. (i where its tip lies within the opening 19 so as to prevent return movement and loosening oi the fastening. In order to release the tread member, a special tool may be inserted in opening 19 and linger 26 bent back to its normal position, whereupon the iastening member may be readily withdrawn. The tread member is prelerably symmetrical with relation to a longitudinal. vertical plane so that, alter it has become worn, in the usual manner on the inside, it may be readily withdrawn and reversed in the chair.

It will be noticed that the means for iastening the tread member in a chair is such that vibration. due to the passage of trains cannot, by any possibility, loosen or affect it in any manner.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a railroad rail, the combination with a chair memher having a continuous longitudinal groove in its upper face and symmetrical with relation to a longitudinal vertical plane, of a tread member having a longitudinal rib on its lower side adapted to lit the groove in a chair member, said tread member being symmetrical relative to a vertical longitudinal plane, said rib of the tread member having formed therein a longitudinal groove, and a fastening member having one end adapted to enter the groove oi the tread member and the other end adapted to enter the chair member at a lower point.

2. In a railroad rail, the combination with a chair member having a continuous longitudinal groove in its upper face, 01 a tread member having a longitudinal rib on its lower side adapted to fit the groove in a chair member said rib of the tread member having formed therein a continuous longitudinal groove, and a fastening member having one end adapted to enter the groove of the tread member and the other end adapted to enter the chair member at a lower point.

3. In a railroad rail, the combination with a chair meniher having a continuous longitudinal groove in its upper face and symmetrical with relation to a longitudinal verti cal plane, of a tread member having a longitudinal rib on its lower side adapted to fit the groove in a chair member, said tread member being symmetrical relative to a vertical longitudinal plane, said rib oi the tread member having formed therein a continuous longitudinal groove, and a fastening member having one end adapted to enter the groove of the tread member and the other end adapted to enter the chair member at a lower point.

4. In a railroad rail, the combination with a chair memher having a longitndial groove in its upper face, of a tread member having a rib 011 its lower side adapted to enter the groove in the chair member, said tread member having a longitudinal groove formed in the side of its rib and the chair member having a notch in the wall of its groove, ol :1 l'ustcning iembcr provided with a finger adapted to enter the notch in the chair member and the groove of the tread member, lateral extensions on said linger adapted to enter the groove oL' the tread member inside the wall of the groovo of the chair member, and means for securing the opposite end of said l'astcning member to the chair member.

in a railroad rail, the combination with a chair mem her having a longitudinal groove in its upper face, ol' a tread member having a rib on its lower side adapted to enter the groove in the chair member, said tread member having :1 longitudinal groove formed in the side of its rib and the chair member having a notch in the wall of its groove, of a fastening member provided with a linger adapted to enter the notch in the chair member and the groove oi the tread member, lateral extensions on said linger adapted to enter the groove of the tread member inside the wall of the groove oil the chair member, a stud carried by the inner face of the opposite end of the fasten- -ing member and adapted to enter an opening formed in the chair member, said opening having a downwardly inclined wall adapted to be engaged by said stud, a linger carried by said stud and adapted to be projected behind the inner face of a portion of the chair member, and a flexible finger carried by the fastening member and adapted to be projected into the opening in .the chair member to prevent rem0vement of the fastening member.

(3. A chair member for railroad rails comprising a main substantially horizontal web, upwardly extending flanges extending longitiulinally along the sides of said web, downwardly extending longitudinal flanges extending along the sides of said web and having openings at intervals or the reception of the lower end of the fastening member, and foot flanges at the lower edges of said downwardly extending flanges, all of said members being integral and the said pairs of flanges being sulliciently transversely separated to be producible by rolling.

l. A chair member or railroad rails comprising a main substantially horizontal web, upwardly extending flanges extending longitudii'ially along the sides of said web, downwardh xtending longitudinal flanges extending along the sides said w b, foot flanges at the lower edges of said dmvnwardly extending flanges, all 011 said members being integral and the said pairs or flanges being sulliciently transversely separated to be producible by rolling, vertical notches being formed in the upper edges of the upwardly projecting flanges and corresponding perforations i'ormed through the downwardly projecting flanges.

S. A chair member for railroad rails comprising a main substantially horizontal web, upwardly extending flanges [or railway rail members comprising a main body having a transversely projecting linger at one end provided at its tip with lateral projections, and means at its opposite end for attachment to the rail support.

10. A fastening tor railway rail members comprising a main body having :1 transversely projecting finger at one end provided at its tip with lateral projections, and having at its other end a stud projecting in the same general direction as the said linger, and lateral oppositely projecting fingers lying in dillercnt planes.

11, A railroad rail comprising a chair member having a longitudinal groove in its upper face and a receiving opening at a lower point [or one end of the fastening member, a tread mombr r having a longitudinal rib adapted to [it said longitudinal groove, said rib having in its sides means for receiving one end of a fastening member, and the said fastening member having one end adapted to engage the tread member and the other end adapted to engage the chair member at a lower point. and means for preventing accidental displacement of said fastening member relative to the chair and tread.

12. A railroad rail comprising a chair member having a longitudinal groove in its upper face, a tread member having a longitudinal rib adapted to fit said longitudinal groove, said rib having in its sides longitudinal grooves. and a fastening member having one end adapted to lie in the groove of the tread member and to engage the chair member to prevent transverse displacement of the fastening member, and said fastening member also having a portion adapted to be secured to the chair member at a point below its engagement with the tread member.

13. A railroad rail comprising a chair member having a longitudinal groove in its upper face, a tread member having a longitudinal rib adapted to fit said longitudinal groove, said rib having in its sides longitudinal grooves, and a fastening member having one end adapted to lie in the groove of the tread member and to engage the chair lnember to prevent transverse displacement, said fastening member also having a spud adapted to enter the chair member at a lower point, a lip 25 to engage the chair member to prevent transverse displacement, and a lip 26 to engage the chair member to prevent longitudinal displacement.

RALPH WILLITS.

Witnesses Crmnnns B. CLARKE, JOHN M. MeGnn. 

